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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow

Shinano Mainichi

Freestyle Skiing

Freestyle World Championship Moguls Final. Aiko Kamimura (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, Feb. 8, 1997)

Moguls
This competition tests how fast and precisely competitors can ski down a steep slope with an average gradient of 27 studded with moguls. Part-way down the slope there are two jumps referred to as "air," and the atmosphere which is exciting and overflowing with a sense of speed is also referred to the "fighting sport of skiing."

Points are awarded for the three elements of turns, mid-air maneuvers and speed, with turns accounting for 50% of the score, and mid-air maneuvers and speed accounting for 25% each. Turns evaluates skill control and aggressiveness, and the highlight of mid-air maneuvers looks at degree of difficulty and perfection. The points awarded for the three elements are totaled to give a maximum score out of 30. Even for turns which look the same, there are a diversity of techniques which vary according to national character. We hope to focus on the mid-air maneuvers which are reaching higher levels of difficulty as the years go by.

Aerials
Competitors use a jump made out of snow with a height of 2 to 3.2 m to fligh high up into the air, where they perform maneuvers. Competitors select their maneuvers to match the particular jump which has its own unique height, angle and distance to the landing point. 20% of points are awarded for air, which looks at take-off and height, 50% of points are awarded for form which evaluates the accuracy of maneuvers, and 30% are awarded to landing, which rates form on landing. Competitors jump twice, and the total scores are added together to decide the rankings.

Skiers reach maximum heights of up to 10 m, which is equivalent to the fourth floor of a building. In this interval, some men perform the difficult maneuver of a "full-double-full" (three backward somersaults and four twists).

(originally run May 17, 1997)

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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun